DogWatch Cigar Radio Podcast Episode #315 - Cigars ... one leg at a time

This week Bob interviews Abe Flores about Pinar del Rio cigars.  Bob and Dale discuss cigar rituals, the New York City outdoor smoking ban, and the upcoming Studio Tobac Tour.  They also field several chat room questions from listeners viewing the show at www.livestream.com/cigar_radio (where the show is broadcast live most Friday evenings at 9 PM EST).  Thanks goes out to Adam Zilinski from Canada for providing this week's unbanded, the Gran Habano SLS 3 Salomones.

Cigar of the Week  -  Pinar del Rio 1878 Cubano Especial Capa Natural

Darkside - HOYO DE MONTERREY LE HOYO DU DEPUTE

Length: 110mm (4.3”) Ring Gauge: 38

One of the 7 Global Brands (as defined by Habanos SA), HdM is made to be a lighter character cigar. The Du Depute is a Trabucos vitola, more commonly referred to as a Short Panatela, and is a pre-1960’s release. No longer sold in the slide lid box of 50 or in the cardboard 5 pack, they only come in boxes of 25 today due to Habanos SA tightening their portfolio.

What else have you been smokin' Dale? 

Romeo y Julietta 1875 Reserve Toro - 56 x 6”
From the Flor de Copan factory in Honduras, the filler is Honduran & Nicaraguan, the binder is Nicaraguan and the wrapper is Honduran. This stick is a couple of notches above the regular RyJ line in richness and smoothness. A very good cigar that should be re-visited if you like earthy flavors surrounded with some complexity of mild spice, vanilla and hearty herbal notes.

Esteban Carreras 5150 Toro - 50 x 6”
The binder and filler all come from Corojo tobacco grown in Nicaragua and the cigar is covered in an Ecuadorian Sumatra leaf that is dark brown & silky. Medium bodied with wood, spice and some fruity sweetness (pears came to mind). I’ve had several of these now and all exhibit great construction, perfect draw and an even burn. The price is right too -  the 5150 and it’s companion release, the 187 are around $5-$6 -  a good value!   

Ernesto Perez-Carillo new release - This week I’ve smoked another each of two new cigars coming from the new EPC factory in Santiago. They were both toro size, one had a light Ecuadorian wrapper and one a darker Nicaraguan wrapper. No line names had been decided when I picked these up from Yunior Torrez at the EPC factory a few weeks ago. This new line, as with all the EPC cigars exhibit outstanding construction - very firm and even bunches, silky smooth and top grade wrappers and a perfect draw. Deep rich flavors on the savory side of the spectrum from both, with the lighter cigar leaning a bit towards an herbal character, the darker cigar having more developed sweetness and body. Hopefully these will be named and released this summer - I saw a few thousand sitting in the aging room in several sizes.  

What else have you been smokin' Bob?

Jesus Fuego Origen Robusto - wrapper: Brazilian Corojo; binder: Costa Rican Corojo; filler: 1/2 Dominican Corojo, 1/2 Nicaraguan Corojo; price: MSRP $7.00

Padron Anniversary 1964

Romeo y Julietta Viejo Gold Band Box Pressed - Viejo, a recent addition to the Romeo y Julieta family, features a San Andres maduro wrapper and a multi-country blend of fillers.  The flavor boasts notes of wood and bread, provides a moderate finish, and is medium in body.  Each cigar is box pressed and comes packaged in traditional boxes of 20.  Unfortunately I did not like one of two of the cigars that I had.  The first one was OK, not a bad smoke and actually pleasant and unassuming though not as complex as they would have you believe.  But the second version of this cigar I tried was a difficult smoke and half way through I gave up.  No smoke, hard to draw and therefore no flavor.  I felt it was a  waste of my time. 

What's My Band? - #951, the Gran Habano SLS 3 Salomones, provided by listener Adam Zilinski. 

February Palio Cutter Contest Winner:  Jared Street from Akron, Ohio, won the silver Palio Cutter.  Enter the March contest now to win a carbon Palio Cutter.

Do you have a Herf Line Review?  If you call and leave a cigar review on the herf line and it is played on the show, you will receive a DogWatch Cigar Radio patch! You can reach the Herfline at 321-594-4373 - or cigar.radio on Skype. You can also send email to theshow@cigarmedia.tv.

Origin of the term HERF: From Cigar Craig, http://cigarcraig.wordpress.com/2009/09/29/the-origin-of-the-word-herf/

"Stump the Chumps" Do you have a suggestion for the unbanded cigar of the week?  Every week Bob and Dale include an “unbanded cigar” segment in their show in which they smoke a cigar without any markings and give their honest opinions.  Bob then opens a sealed envelope and discovers the cigar’s name and manufacturer.  If you have suggestions or donations for the "What's My Band?" segment (or as Craig Schneider refers to it, "Stump the Chumps"), please send them to liz@cigarmedia.tv.

Music provided by the Figurados from their new album, "Lesson Two," and The Surfonics. 

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